Posted: Mon May 02, 2005 10:22 am Post subject: Which are the good schools to work for?

I had bad news today. Am now stuck in Japan finishing work for the spring semester which, at my main place of employment, ends on Sept 17th. An odd time of the year. That means I can't do the TEFL course in Prague that I'd wanted... The next TEFL course starts on October 17th. Am not rich enough to wait a month for it to start, then be unemployed for a month while I do it and then wait another month to get my first pay.

The good news is that my ticket to Prague is considerably cheaper if I leave after Sept 20th!

But now feel more lost, since I was counting on the course to help me 1)make friends and network 2)find accommodation and at least give me a place to stay for the first month 3) help me find a GOOD school/place to work at.

Though I am bilingual I found when I dropped by Prague in 1998, working a bit teaching english before coming to Japan (from Australia...), I missed other English speaking "foreign" friends and as a woman I don't want to be sitting around bars alone (though I know a few great bars for that in Kyoto!). The school I worked for (Anglictina Expres) sent me to companies and I never met another teacher in the six months I worked for them.

Do you have any advice?

-->How can I meet people, when I do get there (booked my ticket now for Sept 22, but might change it to 26th.)

-->What are good schools to try? I don't have that TEFL, but I DO have 6years teaching experience and that bilingual thing (for better or for worse) and a Czech passport.

Ahoj, Jitko
You could also try doing something other than teaching English. Many companies will hire true bilingual workers, and some positions pay well.
Your Czech background will be an asset in teaching or other positions. I don't think you should have too much trouble over your lack of TEFL certification, considering your experience and your language skills. The better schools are on the list mentioned in the thread above. You should be safe to start there.
You'll likely still be going off to companies to teach. It's 90% of the business in the city.
You'll have no trouble finding expats to talk to/hang out with. You could even visit a training school (I'm sure you'd be welcomed to visit and discuss the program on offer)and meet the current trainees and trainers. They might even help out with housing contacts, if you're lucky.

Ah!! Am feeling slightly less daunted. I'll try to do a bit of both at the start perhaps. Visit a few of the language schools and training schools. Send of resumes to some international companies... Try to get some work using my bilingual skills (though they are pretty much all I have, no other postgrads etc.) in the meantime make some money doing what I know how to do best right now ie. teach English.